Haven't heard of the 30 Days of Kindness?  Click here to find out more.  Just starting?  That's okay!  Feel free to start this challenge right in the middle.  You can make up the days you missed through November, if you like.

Hug a stranger.  I'm not going to be quite as strict with the rules today.  Although it would be best if you hugged someone you had never met, I'll let you off if you hug someone that you don't know well.  But when I say "someone you don't know well", I don't mean a casual friend.  I mean someone you've spoken to maybe once or twice ever. 

The reason for my lenience is because at times, you may not come across a good moment to hug a complete stranger off the street.  Maybe the only few strangers you see today are on the phone, toting three kids, or driving in their car.  Obviously not good candidates.  So I'll broaden the spectrum for you. :)

When I'm upset, sometimes all I want is a big hug, no matter who it's from.  Today, let's lighten someone's burden with a single hug.

I want to hear your stories!  Leave me a comment and share what you did during today's challenge.  If you have a picture already, feel free to send it to me.  If you're blogging about today, send me the link and I'll feature it on this blog.

Stay tuned until later today to see what my friends and I did for today's act of kindness.

TOMORROW: Leave a dollar for someone to find!

Today's challenge was pretty simple, as it was a Sunday and Ali and I were at church.  We both were able to compliment people before the service even started!  I liked this challenge because it encouraged us to go out of our loop of church friends and greet somebody new.

I complimented a lady's necklace.  It made my day to see the look of gratitude come over her face when I let her know that I acknowledged how cute she looked and how I knew she had worked hard on her appearance for church.  I love the visible rise in self-confidence that comes over someone when you compliment their appearance.  I love to be complimented- it makes me feel good- so I know that other ladies like to be complimented as well.

Me: Ali, what happened with you today?

Ali: We went to church and we were getting coffee, and the lady behind us had a cute dress on, and I had never met her.  So I turned around I said hi... with a smile!  I complimented her dress, which was way cute.  She looked grateful that I complimented her dress, and I think it made her feel good.  It makes me feel good when people compliment me.

Me: And what did you learn from this experience?

Ali: I learned that you can make someone smile by complimenting them.  Everyone likes to feel good about something they do or wear, so I will try to compliment more people more often.

What did you learn today?  Do you have any fun stories?  Be sure to check out my YouTube channel to see more personalized stories of each day's experiences.